Draft:Specht Architects

Specht Architects is an American architecture firm based in Austin and New York City. . The firm’s portfolio includes residences, higher-education institutions, corporate headquarters, and experimental works. It has received design awards from The American Institute of Architects, Texas Society of Architects, the Municipal Art Society of New York, as well as features in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Architectural Digest, among other publications.

History
Founded as Specht Harpman by Scott Specht and Louise Harpman in 1995 after both graduated from the Yale School of Architecture, the firm became known for an inventive use of found and non-architectural materials in their work. Their experimental zeroHouse was selected by the DuPont Corporation to represent their forward-thinking approach to materials in a national advertising campaign.

In 2015, the firm rebranded as Specht Architects with Scott Specht as principal, and produced projects for St. Edward’s University, and headquarters for Indeed.com as well as designing numerous homes across the United States and Mexico. In 2022, Jakeb Novak became a partner and in 2023 the firm rebranded again as Specht Novak.

Notable Works

 * Casa Annunziata, Sheffield, MA (2023)
 * The Preston Hollow Residence, Dallas (2020)
 * Carpenter Hotel, Austin (2019)
 * Casa Xixim, Tulum, MX (2017)
 * Sangre De Cristo House, Santa Fe (2017)
 * Manhattan MicroLoft, New York (2013)
 * New Canaan Residence, New Canaan (2013)
 * zeroHouse, experimental (2007)

Awards and Media
Specht Architects has, in its various iterations, received over 100 design awards, most notably ten awards from the Austin and New York chapters of the American Institute of Architects, and a project award from the Texas Society of Architects for the zeroHouse. Scott Specht was a featured speaker at TEDx Amherst and discussed the future of the American house.

Specht Architects was named as one of the “Top 100” Architect by New York Magazine. The firm’s Manhattan MicroLoft and Pelham Manor House were featured in The New York Times, and its Preston Hollow Residence and Casa Annunziata were featured in The Wall Street Journal. Their work has also been featured in over 200 publications including Architectural Digest, Dwell, Wired, Forbes, and Fast Company.

Scott Specht and the firm’s work has been featured on Vice TV’s “Most Expensivest” with 2 Chainz, “Tiny House Hunting” on the DIY Network, and the Netflix series “World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals” in addition to segments on HGTV, The Weather Channel, Architectural Digest TV and others. In addition to architectural work, Scott Specht was co-author (with Louise Harpman) of the book “Coffee Lids” published by the Princeton Architectural Press

American Institute of Architects

 * Design Award of Merit, Preston Hollow Residence, 2020
 * Award of Excellence, Carpenter Hotel, 2019
 * Design Award of Merit + Sustainability Commendation, 2019
 * Design Award of Merit, Sangre de Cristo House, 2019
 * Austin Homes Tour, Cliffside Residence, 2014
 * Honor Award, Manhattan Microloft, 2013
 * Honor Award, New Canaan Residence, 2013
 * Honor Award & Austin Buildings Tour, SEU Doyle Hall, 2010
 * Studio Award, Zero House, 2007
 * Design Award, Concrete Media, 2001

Texas Society of Architects

 * Design Award, Sangre de Cristo House, 2020
 * Design Award & Feature Article, ZeroHouse, 2007

Scott Specht
Scott Specht (1963) is an American architect, designer, public speaker, and the founding principal of Specht Architects. Before founding Specht Architects (formerly known as Specht Harpman), he worked as a senior designer for Daniel Libeskind Architect and collaborated on its New York World Trade Center master planning proposal. He also worked for several years with Kohn Pedersen Fox in New York. He is a licensed architect in Texas and New York, is NCARB certified, and is a member of the American Institute of Architects. Scott received his Master of Architecture degree from Yale University, receiving the George Nelson Scholarship and the Franklin W. Gregory Scholarship.His design work has been exhibited at Yale University, the Van Alen Institute, the Municipal Art Society of New York, and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

Jakeb Novak
Jakeb Novak (born June 1981) is an American architect and principal of Specht Architects. He is a licensed architect in Texas and Illinois, a LEED Accredited Professional, NCARB certified, and is a member of the American Institute of Architects. He received a Bachelor of Architecture from Kansas State University where he was the recipient of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Henry Adams Certificate. Prior to his work at Specht Architects, Jakeb worked at Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM).